The Space Pathfinder
by Burnup
Summary: A story that has been going for 3 years between my friend and I, I started typing it all down from the beginning. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: The Baron

**The Space Pathfinder:**

**The Baron**

16.6.876 K.L.

As the small engraved stone door swung closed, I let go of the public façade of pleasantries. I take a sidelong glance to either side of myself, updating myself on the status of my two crewmembers that came with me for the meeting; they're standing firm, looking pleasingly disciplined, even Doc.

"You broadcasted that you had a contract for us?" I say taking an unconscious step towards his masterpiece of a mahogany desk that dominated the small windowless room.

"Yes, yes. I like that, straight to the point!" The squat man on the engraved marble throne beyond the desk jiggled with a jolt.

My inner eye rolls as he gracefully tries to recover from his surprise at my change in tone. One of the two guards standing sentry at either side of the door shifts his weight to his other leg. His? Hers? I really don't know..

"Yes, as you may have noticed when walking through our workshops, our main trade is from our mining operations. Without our mines we would last a little over a year-and-a-half before we riddle ourselves with starving families. With that in mind, we have been successful at tending this settlement to fruition over the past twelve years, and as a result of our success, as you can imagine, I find myself with distasteful responsibilities at times. Now with a thriving city of two-hundred-and-fifty-seven souls I find myself at one more of those distasteful times." He pauses, leaning slightly forward, his chin downturned, eyes looking up into mine with a certain resigned serious shade over his face.

My mind automatically starts analyzing escape routes. A door to the throned man's left, unknown what is through it. And the only other door, we came in through, I glance over my shoulder behind us towards the door. The door is flanked by identical guards in full steel plate mail, one brandishing what seems to be a silver maul, the other a steel two handed battle axe. This room happens to be in the center of the city. This harsh planet keeps its civilizations punished yearlong with the dangerous native wildlife, so even exiting this defensive, militaristic city will be a hassle. Thank god they're not too technologically advanced.

Not to mention we're around twenty stories underground.

"I'm afraid to say," He continues in an authoritively sorrowful tone, "That our miners have been on stand still over the past four months. Our ore supply has recently run out, and our marble supply will soon follow. Half our workshops are not operational. The next trade caravan scheduled to arrive in two more months will find us with barely a craft to sell. Our farmers won't receive our usually imported seeds, and the long process of starvation will be underway." He pauses for what I assume to be a suspenseful moment for him. "With the lives of everyone within this city in my hands, I simply cannot allow this to happen. The mines must be re-opened. I understand this is an unusual request, but regretfully, for the sake of my cities security, I cannot give you more information until you agree to help. But I am hoping that given our past relations, I can trust you, and you me." He finishes up his obviously rehearsed theatrics.

I sigh inwardly "We do not work that way, my lord. It would be unprofessional of me to agree to those terms. I simply can't promise you my crew will be useful in this situation without more information. And without us knowing what we're up against, no contracts will be signed, no mutual benefit will be found." Such a change of posture, similar to the contrast between sun and moon, the squat man suddenly appeared quite ominous for his small stature. The shadows behind his throne seemed to grow to engulf more than half the room; His skin seemed to pale to a dull grey, his back impossibly straight for his rounded figure.

With his faced downturned, in the softest voice I had yet heard from these rumbly voiced people, "Are you sure I can't ask for your help in this matter? You will be well rewarded."

I close my eyes, with my face downturned I solemnly say, "I'd be more than happy to help. But no, not with what little information you've given us. Not for any price."

The good Baron's face looks up into mine, a placating expression on his face. "I assure you, if you are successful, you will be forever treated as kings here! We wouldn't let you leave without as much as you could carry in anything we can provide! Our entire city depends on this! It's too short notice for the Kerolos mercenaries to be called, we will be starving by the time they arrive! And our own military is already stretched too thin!" He ends this tirade with short breath, and an open mouth, staring at me.

"In that case all that needs to be done is for you to show me the contract, With ALL relevant information." I say stoically.

With an exasperated sigh, the Baron waves to a guard who pokes his (her?) head out the door. After a moment an intimidating figure in blue tinted full plate, with a similar tower shield on his left arm, and a short sword on his belt entered the room.

A low vibratory bass rumble takes the room by storm as the blue-clad man opens his mouth. "Sire?"

Doc, for some reason seemed to be losing his cool. Eyebrows slightly raised, Doc stared at the blue-tinted metal. I glance at my other crewmember to see if I'm just missing something, no, Ted doesn't seem to notice anything amiss.

Before my thoughts could go further into the mystery of 'what could trip up Doc?' The Baron spoke up. "This is my Champion; Alycres Lem, The Gushes of Winding. Alycres, tell them of the mines."

"Three months before we closed off the mines, we found an adamantine vein. We started plans of mining the vein immediately. Our entire city celebrating for months, but before long our miners reported having broken into an eerily silent, seemingly bottomless, expansive cavern near the bottom of the vein, pitch black even to our eyes, we wondered about this for a few days, but then shifted our attention back to the adamantine.

Then they came.

Grotesque misshapen creatures, all resembling unique mixture of different life, by wing they got themselves into our adamantine tunnel and soon spread throughout our other mining operations. We have a security checkpoint where the mines attach to the rest of our city; we had to seal the mines. Many miners as well as our security response team were sealed in along with those things. We haven't dared open the gate with our military this thin, and no noise has come from the other side for several months now." The Champion takes a step back as if stepping off stage.

"So," The Baron's voice was like the lightning to The Champion's thunder, striking me out of my reverie. "Now that you have the details, what say you? Will you help?"

I take a minute, trying to look politely deep in thought, but already knowing my answer.

"No, what you need is an army or a miracle, my crew is neither. I wish your people the strength to overcome this. Thank you for your hospitality; with your blessing we will take our leave."

"No, you do not have my blessing." The Baron thunders suddenly, and then seems to gather himself. He continues in a more refined voice, "I'm afraid that I cannot allow you to leave. Not with our situation so dire and now with what you know of the adamantine. No, you will not be leaving. We will provide you with anything that will help you towards opening the mines. But you will not be leaving until they are opened to the miners."

"My lord, please reconsider this decision." I stammer, feeling cold inside.

"That is all! Guards, show them to Numis Manor. They will be our guests for a while. Do not fear, you will be well treated." The Baron finishes up, as if to move his attention on to other matters.

Numb.

With a deafening boom amplified by these small confines, the room lights up with the muzzle flash of my 50cal handgun as the Baron's face implodes and his body bucks back into his throne. My crewmen finished the guards before his body even slumped over. As if in the same motion I send another bullet screaming to meet the beginnings of a battle scream coming from The Champion's open faceplate.

"Get a grenade through that door." I motion unnecessarily towards the door we came through. Doc was already working the pin. With a messy crash, The Champion slams to the ground.

Walking towards the door, "Open, close and hold!" I say, and we do just that. Ted opens the door a crack, Doc tosses the cooked grenade through and a spear comes through the small opening, stopping us from closing the door. I get my handgun into the crack and pull the trigger repeatedly in adrenaline saturated panic. The spear drops to the ground and Ted wrenches it into the room, with that out of the way the door slammed shut. Now we all hold the door shut against the pounding of the guards outside. The three seconds of waiting seemed like an eternity as I keep eyeing the unknown door to the right of the throne dreading the worst to come through. I notice my hands are done reloading my handgun just as a boom followed by the sharp sound of shrapnel and stopped-short screams reverberates from the room beyond.  
"Waste no time." And we didn't. Spent no time getting through the door, ignore the gore and move out through another door into one of the main hallways of the city. Ted has his MP7 with a silencer at the ready, I notice his magazine has a brown strip on the side, good, we need the fire power. Doc has his 9mm sidearm in hand.

Luckily this happens to apparently be the hallway that goes off to most of their subterranean farms, because as we burst into the hall, farmers scattered. Obviously they hadn't expected this and were not prepared; I see no soldiers throughout the length of the hall.

Time for back tracking.

We turn right and pull ourselves to full reserved throttle, moving along quite quickly down the hall at a pace we could keep for two or three days.

"This is going to be the hard part. We're approaching one of their gigantic dining halls, which just happens to act as a central hub for this floor." Doc says to us, his memory sharp as usual.

After traversing a good distance, we approach a large opening on the right side wall that leads to the dining hall, just as we can see through it several soldiers appear running towards us from further down the hallway.

"Ignore them, save ammo for what is in our way." With that, I let myself lead into the dining hall. "Make this fast!" I say before starting a sprint across the hugely populated hall filled with dining tables and chairs. I slow down only to take shots at any figure I see wearing armor. This becomes too much of a blur of panicked faces for me to keep track of every person I shot at; all I know is the stairs are somewhere ahead.

I finally reach the bottom of the stairs. My momentum carries me up the first four steps, I take a second to pulse check my crew's progress across the hall.

"Huh." There are a lot more civilians downed then I remem- "oh." My eyes finally caught sight of the group of soldiers that had evidently come through the opening we came through. Five soldiers carrying crossbows were standing under the arch of the opening, three reloading and two aiming towards my crewmembers getting civilians caught in and out of the crossfire.

I started up the stairs as Doc and Ted bring themselves up the first few steps. After quite a few flights and small bouts of fire at intercepting soldiers, we finally reach the landing we had entered the stairs from when we had first arrived; a large roughly dug out cavern filled with workshops. On the far side are the stairs to the surface that we had entered by.

When I stepped foot onto the landing two things rang in my head. One, they are ready for us.  
Two, I don't know if there is another way to the surface. These thoughts complete a split second after eyeing the forty-plus steel clad figures standing between us and the surface access stairs. So much adrenaline and clarity came to my mind all at once, that I could even pick out the slight sensation of my left eyebrow quivering over the roar of my thoughts.

"This way!" And with that, I turn left and run sidelong the soldiers. Blundering through a few workshops, I throw what seems to be a carpenter? Out of the way. Ok, I didn't see any doors in the surface buildings when we arrived. Hopefully they're accessed from underground. Sounds like a plan, roof access, then grapple down. My legs were already leading us to a niche in a wall of the cavern as my mind completely ignored the pursuing soldiers.

Ha! Stairs going up! With success pumping through my body, I reach the small staircase sprinting up. Huh, only goes up one floor. I stop in my tracks as I reach the top; we're still underground.. Dirt walls, civilians scattering, doors at regular intervals on either side of the hallway, littering of worn or moldy clothes lining the floor, did we just enter the slums?

The hallway goes straight or left, I only took a second to decide. Straight we go. As we run on down the hall, I wonder what made me so sure straight was the way to go.

We get to a ninety degree bend in the hallway turning right. Without stopping I turn right and continue on.

Oh I remember, if we had gone left that would be away from the surface buildin- "Oof!' The wind is knocked out of me as what feels like a wall broadsides me from my left, smashing me into the opposite wall, where I drop and come to a rest on the dirt ground. While gathering my spinning senses, I hear an MP7s lengthy burst as if from a distance, followed by the force of what has got to be a couple tons of said wall laying its weight on my leg. Then probing hands yanked me up to my feet, wrenching my leg out from underneath the weight.

We are already back on the move. Ted isn't letting me fall, or stop to rest. But even with my head spinning, my curiosity can't be overcome. I look back over my shoulder, There lying right where I had been was a massive dead civilian, passed him was the approaching wall of pursuers. I must have been tackled on my way by one of those side rooms. "Thank you, Ted." I say, tapping him to let him know I don't need his support anymore.

My weight goes to my legs as he lets go, I almost buckle from the pain. A couple ribs must be fractured or broken, Thank you adrenaline. I continue on, now at the back of my crew. Down the hallway passed them I see a nicer door than the rest where the hallway ends.

A few moments later, we burst into what looks like a barracks. Four cots set up in the far right corner, dining table with four chairs to our right, an armor stand and weapon rack on our left, a door opposite of this one, and stairs! Going up! We run over to the far left corner where the stairs are and waste no time in starting our climb. Ha! The next flight has no landing, but the walls are smooth stone now, similar to the surface buildings. The next flight was the same, but when we reached the landing after, we found ourselves on the top of the smooth stone curtain wall overlooking the inner wall and keep. A guard with a crossbow watching out towards the wilderness not ten steps away glanced our way and started. Ted fires, sending the guard out between the buttresses falling over the edge. I run over to the spot he was standing and get started finding a good anchor for the grapple.

Doc goes down the rope first. I hear a shout. Looking towards the source of the noise, I see another guard further along the wall taking aim.

"Ted, you next." Ted starts getting his harness attached to the grapple, and then he takes a crossbow bolt to the back of his shoulder. As if it was happening in slow motion, I took three hurried steps towards him, reaching for him. But he was already teetering over the edge.

Ted fell.

The rope held no weight; he didn't get his harness attached. I stare, registering all this as I hear a sickening crunch.

Time to go.

I get myself behind a buttress just as a bolt flies overhead. The first of our pursuers were just coming up the stairs.

Holding myself in place, I attach my harness and drop. Doc was busy, leaning over what must be Ted.

"Doc, hurry it up, we're leaving."

With that, we grab what we can of Ted's equipment and start sprinting towards the line of trees.

There were only a few bolts that whizzed by us on our way, most just sticking in the ground short of us, but none getting too close.

I touch my com. "Steven, we need a pick up. Same place we were dropped off."


	2. Chapter 2: Flight

**The Space Pathfinder:**

**Raul's Pissed**

16.6.876 K.L.

Bob picks us up in one of our transport ships and immediately picks up on the mood. Wise as he has always proven to be, he stays silent on the flight back to orbit.

Upon landing in the hanger, we power down and exit the transport. Raul was already getting the ship hooked onto the guide rails on the ceiling to bring the transport back into the repair bay for its mandatory 'after use maintenance' that Raul insists on. Bob and I pause as Doc unexpectedly jogs over to Raul's workbench. He calls up to Raul who is still on top of the transport working another hook into place as he rummages through his pack laying out a few good sized folded up cloths onto the work bench.

"Raul! Keep ahold of these until I get a chance to talk with you about 'em!"

Raul pauses and looks down at Doc, Eyeing what Doc had put on his workbench. And then grunts turning back to his work.

Doc runs back to us and we continue into the ship.

Carlos meets us at the stairs.

"Doc, go. Do your thing. Bob, I'll call you for the briefing." I say before letting out a sigh and turning to Carlos; Carlos looks like he's about to burst. This was a contract that he advocated looking into.

"What the hell was that about?" Carlos says, "What is the contract? Where's Ted?" He was nearly blending the last few words together while over using hand gestures.

"You were right, they were desperate. The pay would have been great." I say in a light tone. Then I continue in a more serious note. "But they were desperate enough to threaten us." I say.

"They threatened us? How? I really do-"

"Carlos, ask yourself: where is Ted?"

"But I-"

"Carlos, really. Not now." I touch my com. "Steven, put us enroute to jump position, destination: Herus. We're moving on." I say as I work my way up the first few steps of the stairs, away from a baffled Carlos. I sigh, stopping halfway up the first flight and turn back to face him.

"I'm sorry Carlos, I'm not in a talkative mood. I'll brief you about it later. Until then don't worry about it." With the adrenaline draining away, the pain begins to seep in as I make my way up the next two floors. By the time I reached the Med bay hatch, I was holding my side, favoring my right leg and just getting into the rhythm of holding my breath every other step.

As I approach the air tight hatch of the Med bay, the deadbolts shock back into it from the wall and the hatch slides into the ground. I walk onto the already unfolded platform that covers the seam in the ground every time the hatch opens into the room.

The Med bay is one of our more advanced bays onboard this ship. As I walk in I find myself recounting the layout. The left side of the room is dominated by sick beds divided by curtains hooked onto ceiling rails. A few yards down the right side wall is a hatch that has been left open. Passed that is a reception desk tucked into the far right corner, unmanned as always. Straight ahead is bullet proof glass sliding double doors leading to the operating room, also currently open.

"Doc!" I call out, and then hear a muffled series of curses escalating from the open hatch on the right, followed by a crash and two heavy thumps.

"Matt Fool! Bodies fresh from cryo are FRAGILE!" Doc's outraged voice whips. I peek inside just to dodge out of Matts way as he hurries out the hatch, looking like he'd been rightly scorned.

"Doc, I'm sorry! I-" Matt stammers.

"Get back in here! Are you just going to leave the body where you dropped it?" With that, Matt all but runs back in. I peek back in after him and see Doc scowling, bent over gathering what looks like a spilled tray of medical tools scattered around a naked male body sprawled on the ground, the skin looked to be covered by an almost shiny sheen of blue. Matt bends down and hefts up the body.

"Get it to the operating table Matt. Careful now!" Doc's stern face watches after Matt while he finishes gathering everything back onto the tray.

"If we didn't have the most recently released cryo-chamber edition, that body would be in pieces." He mumbles under his breath. "Capn, take a seat, I'll be right with you. Let me just get this process going." Doc says in a notably more pleasant voice as he passes me by with the tray in hand, following Matt into the operating room.

I seat myself on one of the sick beds, and immediately feel much wearier than I thought. I decide to lay back and mayb-

_A scratching noise grates my ears. _

_Ted? _

_ I hear a muffled scuffling, as if metal was being ground against stone._

_I'm reaching for him.._

_ The intensity of the scraping builds pressure._

_I can't, I can-_

"Capn, wake up."

My eyes shoot open, staring at Doc's empathetic eyes. I suddenly feel irritated.

"You seemed tired, so I let you sleep for a bit." He pauses a second. "Let's take a look at what damage you've accrued." If I acted out in my sleep, Doc made no sign.

Doc had me sit up while he examined me. Sure poked at my strained leg more than I'd like. But in the end I know he's good at what he does.

"No open wounds, just a fractured rib, and a broken rib." He says, indicating my left side. "Otherwise your leg is only strained, be kind to it for about a week, then start working it." Doc backs up to examine his work, "Don't mess with that plasti-tissue rap. The longer it lasts, the faster you'll heal."

"Thank you, Doc." I say. I get up gingerly and start moving towards the entrance. I pause and turn back "Doc, when will he be waking?"

"About three hours from now." He says without looking up from his activity of cleaning up the sick bed I'd vacated.

"Could you let me know at the time?"

"You got it, Capn." He says over his shoulder as he disappears into the operating room.

As I'm on my way to my personal quarters, my stomach makes a low placating moan. I pause at an intersection. After a second I make up my mind, changing my destination to the mess hall.

"How'd't go, sur?" I hear Charles' voice from down the hall behind me. I bet everyone on board knows we're moving on by now. But not surprising that Charles' is behind on the 'know'.

"Not too well Charles, We're moving on to Herus. There is nothing for us here." I wait for Charles to catch up. "I'm about to grab a bite, come along if you'd like."

"Twould be mihe pleasure." Says Charles, accidently breaking into her inconsistent accent that she'd probably never completely lose.

We walk into the ships lounge. Feeling comforted by the familiar setting, I stop to look around just to take in the feeling.

Charles passes me up and heads straight down the main ramp that leads down to the main floor of the lounge. The lounge takes up two floors just to heighten the ceiling so there would be enough room for the big screen to be hung up, incidentally it now dominates the left wall. I grin, It was one of the many successes of this ships creation.

I see Bob situated on one of the two couches on the right side of the lounges main floor watching the screen and trying his hardest to ignore Charles' banter. The opening I walked through protrudes from the wall leading to the platform I'm standing on. A ramp to my left and right follow along either wall leading to the main floor.

On the far side of the room the mess hall overlooks the main floor, connected to the lounge via another ramp on the far left going up from the main floor. The two rooms are separated by a railing. Against the right side wall of the main floor is another ramp that leads up into Carmen's kitchen.

I spot Matt seated in the mess hall sulking over his meal as I head down the main ramp making my way towards the kitchen ramp.

"Doesn't smell like your usual amazing dishes." I say as I walk into the heat and hubbub of the kitchen. I stop, feeling foolish as I notice no one is here. I shrug the feeling off and move to where I see a few troughs seated upon low burning stovetops. Of course I single mindedly walk towards the food and away from clean dishes.. I walk back over grab myself a dish then go back to the troughs, now ready for my load.

"Hey! What did I say about probing my kitchen!" a high pitched, whiny yet somehow authoritive voice calls from the direction of the pantry. I look over my shoulder and can't help but smile when I see the tall plump man with the permanently irritated expression plastered on, we all know it serves as his jovial face.

"Carmen! Good to see you too!" I say as I start probing his food.

"Stop that." He growls out as he walks over to me. In his high voice it sounds less than intimidating.

"What happened to that stew?" I say as he puts down the jars he was carrying.

"Ran out." He doesn't seem amused.

"Aw, I was looking forward to that. What do we have instead?"

He gestures towards the troughs on the low burners, not turning away from the counter he was working the jars over.

"You really have to get in the habit of serving a feast a day, Carmen." I jive in a falsely serious voice.

Without looking at me, he says in a low distracted tone, "If you had more imagination when restocking our food supply, maybe."

"Don't sulk Carmen, you know that groceries are our top priority for our next docking." He finally peeks over his shoulder at me, "And this time I'll let you have sixty percent control of the food funds." And with that, he turns the rest of the way to face me with one of his legendary full face smiles.

"Let me get that plate of yours filled, Captain." And with that, I'm heading back down the kitchen ramp into the lounge, focusing on the food I'm carrying. As I enter, Charles seems to remember she was here for food, she stops bantering at Bob and strides by me towards the kitchen.

Waving to Bob who nods to me, I make my way across the room, up the opposite ramp and into the mess hall. Seating myself at Matt's table, I ignore his sulking and begin to dig in.

I become conscious to the world around me, noticing my plate is empty.

"Hung-ray, Captane?" I start, finding Charles seated next to me talking over a mouth full and starting to take another bite of what appears to be the same meal I had just finished.

"I guess so." ignoring my bodies complaints I lean forward ending my pigged-out slouch. Elbows propping me up on the table, I reach up with my right hand, and closing my eyes, I rub my temple with two fingers.

"Sir?" Matt begins in an inquiring voice. It's just like Matt, always at the wrong times..

"Yes, Matt." I say deliberately patient my eyes still closed.

"Could you g-get someone else to help Doc? You know.. It's not r-really in my job" My eyes shoot open with my best 'stare into your soul' glare. He hesitates searching for a word. " title.. I'm Chief of Ship Security after all." He stutters out what must have sounded better in the mirror. I sit expressionless, waiting patiently to see if that was all. It must have been..

"I'll take that into consideration. For now, any work you do for Doc is very much appreciated." I say this slowly and very deliberately while attempting to keep eye contact with Matt's allusive glare. "I mean it Matt, Doc's work is extremely important to the well-being of this ship and crew. Whenever you help him, you benefit us all quite a lot. Not to mention that you've been doing a great job at doing two peoples worth of work, well done." I get up, grabbing my empty plate I clap Matt on the shoulder with my free hand and gently squeeze, and then I head back to the kitchen to clean my dishes.

"What are we watching Bob?" I ask as I sit back into the couch my body breathing its relief at finally resting.

Without moving his head, Bob looks at me from the corner of his eye. With a hint of a grin he leans forward grabbing the remote off the coffee table and hits the 'info' button. This is an activity that he and I often share.

"Captain." I wake with a start, "Hey. Doc called for you." Bobs voice breaks through the haze. I sit up, lean forward and start rubbing my eyes. The fog that had settled over my synapses was beginning to lift.

"Doc called." I mumble, it was less of a question and more of a statement. "How long was I out?" I say, my voice starting to sound normal.

"A little over two hours."

"Alright, thank you." I get up, the fog not yet burned away entirely. "I'll talk to you later." I say as I walk towards the main ramp. Bob gives his usual muted reply; silence.

"Doc! Is he awake?" I call in to the depths of the Med bay as I enter.

"I am, Captain!" is shouted back at me in an unfamiliar enthusiastic voice from the operating room.

I walk in and immediately Doc beams at me standing over the cryo body from earlier, only it was no longer a shade of blue.

And it is awake.

I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. "It's good to have you back with us Ted." These operations weren't always successful, Personality Data Chips or PDCs can be damaged, and frequently are, depending on how one dies.

"Do me a favor and let Doc know I'm good to go." Ted says. I can't help but smile. Slightly shaking my head I reply.

"Take this seriously Ted, this isn't my area of expertise. You'll do whatever Doc says, that's an order." But I couldn't even pull the grin from _my_ face.

"Oh no, not until I make sure your psyche is cooperating with your new body." Doc says, "The tests only take a little more than an hour."

"Thank you, Doc." I say and then look back to Ted. "You did well out there, I expect you to keep it up."

"You know it, Sir." He says with his usual gaping smile but on a new face.

After walking with Doc a short distance from the operating room "I'm going to go announce Ted's successful recovery to the rest of the crew, they must still be worried. Thanks again Doc."

"Should I have him report to you when I'm done?"

"No, I'm heading to sleep. Just let him off the leash." I say as I turn away and start towards the door. 'Time. For. Sleep.' Is echoing through my head to the rhythm of my foot falls, my mind's appetite whetting at the thought.

After telling Carlos of Ted's recovery, without even being asked, he swivels his seat back to his desk covered in messy communications equipment, and with a smile on his face, pulls over a microphone and uses the intercom system to announce it to the crew. I know they're going to be up for hours celebrating, but they deserve it.

I don't even remember moving through the ballistics lab into my room, just suddenly, it was morning. Or what I would call 'morning'.

17.6.876 K.L.

As I emerged from the ballistics lab, I notice the hallways I'm passing through on my way to the kitchen are empty. Carmen isn't even in the kitchen yet, Must have been quite a night. But true to his passion, there is one trough continuing to be heated. After eating in the empty mess hall I return to the ballistics lab and start my after action gun maintenance as I wait for everyone to wake for the customary briefing.

19.6.876 K.L.

"Preparing jump sequence. Full check." Steven says over the com.

"Sensors green." Answers Carlos.

"Shields green." Answers Jim.

After a minute, "Engines green." Answers Raul.

"Attitude and thermals green." Immediately answers Ted.

"And guidance is green." Finishes Steven. He then looks up from his monitors and over his shoulder to Captain. "All is prep'd, sir."

After a literal thumbs-up from Captain, "Brace for jump." Steven announces.

Ha! He said it again, that old timer pilot. I smirk to myself. Suspension field generators were invented a couple hundred years ago to combat jump turbulence, drag, and propulsion pull. They were put into mass production the following fifty years and since then have been part of any ships default build. Yet he still says the habitual 'brace for jump' giving away his age.

As this thought completes, I feel the usual nothing as we jump. Time to kill a week of jump travel.. Not like the good old day where we'd die if we weren't strapped into cryo.

Though I would just do that anyways If someone else could pull me out again..

I break out of my reverie and immediately notice I'm not on the bridge anymore. Instead, I'm staring at myself in the top floor restroom mirror with some scrawny, wavy white haired, short man apparently showing the beginnings of wrinkles staring back at me. It has been awhile in this body..

"You are Doc." I say under my breath, my mind wandering.

I flinch away from the thoughts the image leads me to and walk out of the room leaving them behind. On to other things! Raul.. Yes the adamantine. I had almost forgotten.

"Raul!" I throw my searching gaze around the Repair bay. Nope. I walk to the back of the repair bay, through an opening into the engineer's tool room.

"Raul!" I exclaim upon seeing him with his back to me leaning over a workbench.

"I heard you the first time, Doc." He gruels out without turning away from his work.

"About those cloths I gave you."

"You mean the two high quality craftsmanship adamantine shoulder plates?" He pauses his work, but doesn't turn around.

"Aw you looked! I knew I was special." I say, beaming at his back with wide eyes. "In any case, do you think it's enough for anything of use? Besides selling, of course." I say in a more serious tone.

He resumes his work, "Yes."

"… And?.."

After a slight sigh he says, "Leave them with me. I'll let you know when I come up with something." The last word being said in a tone that indicates the end of our flowery conversation.

On my way out I call over my shoulder to his chagrin "Thanks, Raul!" Doc, you renegade you.

I walk my victorious stride into my Med bay and stop to wonder what to do. No one maimed, no one is even sick.. Medical technology is getting to be too competent. I cross my arms standing straight, poised to combat my frustrating predicament.

Maybe I can find something we're running out of. A smile comes over my face. Then I could bother Captain about it. My legs already leading me to the medical tool supply, my enthusiasm drops as I find an immaculate assortment of various equipment in top-notch condition. Perfectly organized for that matter.. "hmph" I make my way to the chem cabinet, finding it in similar condition. I deflate, excitement of bothering Captain taking its last spin around the drain.

I guess I could go back to that compound I've been working on..

A montage of memorized grueling head-scratching rushes through my mind. Eh..

No, let's see how Jim's doing with those micro-machines instead.

26.6.876 K.L.

"We've entered the Herus system." Steven's voice cracks out over the intercom startling me awake. Ripping my face out of the plastering pool of spittle I find myself back in front of what I was dreaming of.

"Aww, I thought I had completed it.." I mumble. No, you dreamed you had.. Shush, you. I rise from my laboratory table. Looking over the sprawled equipment lying around on the table, I come to a decision. Later, I'll look over what illegible notes I left for myself later..

"Doc, can you watch over the ship for a bit. I want to take my ship for a ride." I blink away my thoughts taking a second to note who spoke.

"Ah, Capn. Of course, have fun." I go back to.. to.. I look down at a half-eaten plate. Eating.

I wonder what it's like to pilot these things. I've been around long enough, have I never thought about it? But so many other things have been on my mind.. Hmm, flying.

"Steven! I need you off the bridge, I'm going to fly." I say triumphantly upon entering the bridge.

"Uh, no." He says incredulously.

"Yes, Steven! I know it must be quite an honor having me head the ship. Overwhelming in fact. But we can't afford to have hesitation for any reason when chain of command calls."

"Get off my bridge, Doc." He says going back to what he was doing.. Such cool stuff to do.. I wish I had cool stuff too.

Flying a little too close to a conglomeration of asteroids that had strayed too far from a nearby belt, I pull down at the last second narrowly getting between two-

Crap! I swivel the small one man ship into a half corkscrew making the entire maneuver look like one graceful movement. I pull out from the asteroids a safe distance and re-orientate my flight in accordance to the local sun.

With the adrenaline dying down, a bomb drops in my chest and the world starts spinning violently; I can't help but think of my crew's loyalty, faith and the look on each of their faces as they realize I've lead them to their deaths. Images blaze a trail of numbness through my mind, Keldon, Janoz, Daneel. I close my eyes. Daneel didn't have to die like that. Too many names this early in my life. Ted's fall was a minor mistake with huge consequences, that is all it takes.. That is why I spent so much on those Personality Data Chips. But that is no excuse, I could have done better. I have to do better. With that thought solidly placed in my mind, the world immediately stops spinning, and tears into focus. My ship's thrusters are powered off, I'm just floating.

With my ship facing away from the sun, I look into the open maw of space and lose myself to my pride over how far we've come in the last three years.

"Capn, your back! I'm so glad. Tell Steven that I am cleared for piloting."

"What?" I say over my shoulder while I finish fastening the ceiling guide rail hooks to my ship.

"Yes, for some reason Steven will not allow me to pilot. Absurd I know, me being the command on deck at the time. I think you should talk to him about chain of command."

At this point he has my full attention. I turn away from my work and face him.

"Doc, he didn't allow you to because, unless I'm mistaken, according to our database, you are not cleared for flying. You're the ship's Doctor.. Which by its self doesn't make it so you can't pilot, but.. Doc, you have to be interviewed as a pilot if you want to work as one. We have to make sure your training is up to our standards. You never told me you could pilot, where did you train?" I notice in the corner of my eye that the hooks are not completely fastened yet, my eye twitches with a twang of annoyance. I turn back away from Doc, still listening for his response, but this ship needs to be fastened.

"I have no formal training; I want to know what it's like."

I pause.

"What?" I can't help but look over my shoulder at him to see if he is being genuine. "And you wanted me to clear you for piloting."

"Yes."

I give him my best 'stare into your soul' glare. He smiles back.

"Right." I go back to what I was doing. "Doc, let's talk about this when I am not in the middle of something. How about after this evening's meal? I still need to do my rounds around the ship and check in with everyone before then."

"Capn I feel your making this a bigger fuss than is warranted. If I were to fly around in the middle of nothingness, what harm could possibly occur?"

"It's that sentiment that forces us to interview and test pilots. I've spoken enough about this for now. As I said, save it for this evening." This time I don't turn away from my work to see his expression, poor leadership.. But this ship needs to be fastened.

I didn't hear him leave, but as I finally finished, I noticed he was gone. On my way out of the hanger, I meet eyes with Raul, whom is obviously smirking to himself that I took so long to dock. That engineer deserves to be proud of his abilities, so I just smile back and continue on into the ship. But I can't help but think of how my father would have handled such a smirk. My smile instantly leaves my face. Now to see how the rest of the crew fares.


End file.
